The Hasht-e Subh Daily’s findings on aid distribution to earthquake victims are based on observations from local colleagues and reports from local sources. These findings reveal that the Taliban have significantly interfered with and influenced the distribution of aid by various organizations. A credible source within these organizations confirmed that the Taliban have deeply intervened in their operations.
Local sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that, over the past year, the Taliban have been involved in the aid delivery process, even confiscating some of the assistance meant for earthquake victims from certain organizations. These sources also reported that aid distribution has been unfair, with some organizations either demanding money from the victims in exchange for assistance or sharing the aid with local influential elders.
In the Gulran district, anonymous sources revealed that several villages with destroyed homes were surveyed by the Red Crescent Society, and plans were made to build new homes for the victims. The Red Crescent distributed 124,500 Afghanis to each affected individual to help with shelter construction. However, the district’s Council of Scholars allegedly took this money from the people. According to sources, the Council imprisoned several locals and only released them after taking the funds.
One local source explained: “The Red Crescent came, saw the destruction, and gave people money in installments to start building homes. But the head of the Gulran Council of Scholars demanded a share of the money. When people refused, nearly 20 of them were imprisoned.”
The source added: “Although the Red Crescent insisted that the Council had no right to take this money, the Council pressured the local elders, threatening to keep them imprisoned unless they paid. Initially, they demanded money from 12 households, but after resistance, they settled for the funds from four homes, totaling 498,000 Afghanis, before releasing the elders.”
Other sources confirmed that several aid organizations had taken money from earthquake victims or shared the aid with local leaders. One source claimed that employees of Humanity & Inclusion, an international organization, collected 1,000 Afghanis from each vulnerable person before distributing aid in Herat. The matter was reported to the organization’s officials in Kabul, prompting a visit by a delegation, including the director, who confirmed the bribery and apologized to the people.
The source said: “Humanity & Inclusion employees came to Gulran and said they would distribute aid, but each family had to pay 1,000 Afghanis for each card. They handed out 150 cards in our village, collecting a total of 150,000 Afghanis.”
The source added: “This issue was eventually publicized, reaching the organization’s central office. A delegation investigated, and the director confirmed that employees had taken money in exchange for distributing aid.”
Meanwhile, another source confirmed that ActionAid International also collected money from the people during their surveys. However, when it came time to distribute aid, they claimed that the registered cards had been lost. As a result, the aid was divided between the local elders and the organization’s employees.
The source told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “ActionAid employees collected money from each household, but when they brought the aid, most people received nothing, as they said the cards were lost. When disputes arose, an ActionAid employee sold the cards to local elders, and they split the money.”
However, a credible source from ActionAid denied allegations of corruption, stating that those accused of selling aid had been dismissed “a long time ago.” The source also confirmed the Taliban’s involvement, stating that much of the aid ultimately ends up in the Taliban’s hands.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
شکایت زلزلهزدهگان هرات از فروش کمکها و اخذ پول از متضرران | روزنامه ۸صبح
